Deion Branch: Jeff Demps is already the fastest guy on the team

He’s only been around a few days, but Jeff Demps has already caught the eye of his new teammates. Demps, who was part of the United States silver medal-winning 4×100-meter relay team, has flashed some world-class speed on the football field.

‘Trust me, this guy is a world-class sprinter,’ said wide receiver Deion Branch, who said he followed Demps’ career prior to his Olympic stint. ‘The speed that he’s displaying on the football field isn’t surprising. It is what it is; he’s everything we thought he was.’

‘[Demps is] the fastest guy on the team but clearly Slater is another fast guy, I mean a very fast guy,’ Branch said. ‘Who knows? I mean if this guy truly probably put a little more emphasis on running track, he would probably be the same.’

The 22-year-old Demps, who checks in at 5-foot-9 and 181 pounds, had a standout career with the Gators, finishing with 2,470 career rushing yards and 23 touchdowns in four seasons. And after only a few practices, Branch said it’s clear that Demps is different than some track guys who feel that they have the speed necessary to give football a try.

‘You have to remember that football speed and track speed are two different speeds,’ Branch said. ‘You could get a track guy who can run the 40, but he may not run as fast competing and playing on the football field. That’s not the same with Demps, though. He runs fast period. But I’ve been around the game where I’ve seen a bunch of track guys try to play football and it just didn’t work out. But this guy naturally is a football player blessed with that speed.’